In
chairing the Energy Subcommittee of the
House Committee on Science,Congresswoman
Judy Biggert of the 13th District in Illinois has
moved to the forefront of efforts to reshape
national priorities in basic research funding —
including the work at Argonne National
Laboratory in her home district,and at
Fermilab a few miles to the west.

During the 107th Congress in July 2002,
Rep.Biggert introduced HR 5270,the Energy
and Science Research Investment Act,which
would increase the budget for the Department of Energy ’s Office of Science
by 60 percent in four years,to more than $5.3 billion.In addition,the act
restructures DOE by elevating the Director of the Office of Science to the
level of Assistant Secretary of Science,and creates an Undersecretary for
Energy Research and Science.

As chair of the Energy Subcommittee,appointed on February 10,Biggert now
leads the panel with jurisdiction over the federal government ’s civilian energy
and science research,development and commercialization activities.Biggert
re-introduced the Energy and Science Research Investment Act as HR 34
for the 108th Congress,and she sees the restructuring as critical to the
future of research.

“It is my hope that this reorganization will improve the integration and
coordination of DOE’s basic science and applied energy research programs
by vesting authority for all such programs with the new Under Secretary,”
Biggert told FERMINEWS .“The bill also establishes an overall science
advisory board,consisting of the chairs of the advisory panels for each of
the Office ’s programs,to give guidance to the new Assistant Secretary in
prioritizing and coordinating research within the Office of Science.”

Biggert,who has also introduced bills to strengthen elementary education
in science and math,has a growing bipartisan list of cosponsors from coast
to coast for the Energy and Science Research Investment Act.Currently
numbering 74 co-sponsors,the list includes Reps.Vern Ehlers of Michigan
and Rush Holt of New Jersey,the two physicists in Congress;and seven
members of the Illinois delegation,Reps.Bobby Rush (1st),Bill Lipinski (3rd),
Danny Davis (7th),Jerry Weller (11th),Jerry Costello (12th),Tim Johnson
(15th)and John Shimkus (19th).

Biggert’s proposal for funding increases in the
Office of Science,and her support for a substantial
increase in funding for the physical sciences,
preceded a report released in late August of 2002
by the President ’s Council of Advisors on Science
and Technology (PCAST).The council,chaired
by Georgia Institute of Technology president
G.Wayne Clough,recommended that R&D funding
for the physical sciences and engineering should
be brought to parity with the life sciences over the
next five budget cycles.

“PCAST ’s recommendation was based on the fact
that,just a little over thirty years ago,support for
the three major areas of research –namely the
physical and environmental sciences,life sciences,
and engineering –was equally balanced,”Biggert
said.“Today,the life sciences receive 48 percent
of federal R & D funding compared to the physical
sciences ’11 percent and engineering ’s 15 percent.

“Even a simple imbalance could have long-term
implications for both the life and the physical
sciences,”Biggert continued.“Already,Ph.D.
candidates are choosing life sciences over physical
sciences.As the PCAST report points out,‘It is
widely understood and acknowledged that the
interdependencies of the various disciplines require
that all advance together.’This is one of the major
reasons why I introduced legislation in the 107th
Congress,and again in the 108th Congress,to
significantly increase funding for the DOE Office of
Science,the nation ’s primary supporter of research
in the physical sciences and high energy physics.”

Fermilab is located in the 14th Congressional
District of Illinois,represented by Speaker of the
House of Representatives J.Dennis Hastert,Jr.
Rep.Biggert ’s selection to chair the Energy
Subcommittee was well received at Fermilab,
and at Universities Research Association,Inc.,the
consortium of universities operating the laboratory
under contract for the DOE Office of Science.

“We respect and admire Congresswoman Biggert ’s
record of leadership,especially in the areas of
science research and science education,”said
Fred Bernthal,President of Universities Research
Association,Inc.“She has worked very hard
recently to redress the long-standing problem of
inadequate funding for DOE ’s Office of Science.
We congratulate her on this new assignment,and
we look forward to working with her as the new
Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy.”

Fermilab Director Michael Witherell noted that
an authorization bill for the National Science
Foundation,similar to HR 34,led to the start of
significant increases in appropriations at NSF.
He also pointed out that Illinois is a national center
of science research —and research funding.

“Congresswoman Biggert’s appointment recognizes
the fact that she has been the leading member of
Congress on the issue of support for the Office of
Science in the Department of Energy,our funding
agency,”Witherell said.“It ’s not widely recognized
that 20%of DOE Office of Science funding comes
to the State of Illinois,mostly for Argonne National
Laboratory and for Fermilab.Illinois has one of
the biggest stakes of all the states in the Office
of Science.I think that ’s part of what led Congress-
woman Biggert to become interested in this issue.
In other areas of research and development,the
state of Illinois ’share of federal funding is more
typically four or five percent.”

Already familiar with the Argonne program, Biggert
also has a sound understanding of Fermilab’s
research mission.She stressed her intention to
maintain an active interest in the lab and its future.

“At no time in its history has Fermilab contributed
more to the world ’s understanding of particle
physics than it is contributing today,”Rep.Biggert
said.“Between operating the highest-energy
particle accelerator,conducting leading neutrino
experiments,and helping to design and develop
the next-generation accelerator,Fermilab is the
place every high-energy physicist wants to be.
Illinois and the U.S.are proud of the lab ’s role
in global physics research.

“Fermilab is the place where ‘big ideas ’are
conceived,tested,implemented in experiments,
and interpreted for the public,”she continued.
“The lab seeks answers to fundamental questions
about the universe.I support Fermilab ’s pursuit
of the most ambitious course —not just for Illinois,
but for the U.S.high-energy physics community ’s
rightful place among the leading thinkers of the
world.There is little doubt that the mysteries of
the universe can only be addressed by a robust
program of frontier science.As Chairman of the
Energy Subcommittee of the House Science
Committee,I will be working with my colleagues
from Illinois and elsewhere in Congress to support
and enhance the role of science at the Department
of Energy.”

Biggert also emphasized the importance of
scientists participating in the political process.

“It is my goal to have these provisions incorporated
into a comprehensive energy bill when it moves
through Congress this year,”Biggert said “But to
be successful,I need to demonstrate that broad,
bipartisan support exists for the funding levels
and management changes contained in HR 34.
That requires as many cosponsors as possible.
The bill already has 74 cosponsors,but there
are 435 members of the House. This is where
[physicists] can help. Tell your colleagues
across the country to write,call,and urge their
Representatives to cosponsor HR 34.Spread
the word that a robust high-energy physics
program at the DOE requires a robust Office
of Science,and that HR 34 guarantees both.”